British & American English

Food & Cooking Terms

It can be a frustrating experience for Americans to try cooking with English books since so many of the ingredients change their names on the other side of the Atlantic. So here's a short list of some of the more common food-related British terms and their equivalent in American English.

aubergine : eggplant

beetroot : beet

biscuit : cookie or cracker (sweet biscuit or savoury biscuit)

boiled sweet : hard candy

brown bread : wholemeal bread

brown stock : beef stock

bully beef : corned beef

candyfloss : cotton candy

chicory : endive

chips : french fries

coriander leaves : cilantro

corn : almost any grain (see maize and sweetcorn)

corned beef : canned pressed ham (see salt beef)

cornflour : cornstarch

cos lettuce : romaine

courgette : zucchini

crisps : potato chips

crumpet : something a bit like an English muffin ("English muffins" do not exist in England)